The present invention provides a washing machine and an improved textile rinsing method in washing machines.
The rinsing methods known in prior art are carried out by deep rinse methods or by spray methods or combination of the same.
In a deep rinse phase, water is admitted in a tub to predetermined levels. The textiles are agitated in the fresh water by an agitator or propeller, and the water is later drained and the textiles centrifuged.
In a spray rinse phase, the basket is rotated at a constant determined speed, while fresh water is admitted and sprayed to the textiles, which adhere against the base and walls of the basket due to the basket's rotation. Fresh water penetrates the textile's layers, taking away a certain amount of detergent and filth of the textile being washed. The remaining liquid is continuously drained. The phase is usually completed by means of rotating the basket at a high speed, in which case a large part of the remaining water in the textiles is extracted by centrifuge force. Since agitation during spray rinse is eliminated, and since there is almost no friction between the agitator and the textiles during spray rinse, the wear of textiles is reduced.
Textile rinse methods in washing machines by means of spraying are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,722 discloses a method for rinsing a textile wash load for use in a vertical axis washing machine in which a plurality of initial spray rinses are used in which the released water is discharged directly to drain and a plurality of subsequent spray rinses are used in which the water is re-circulated through the spinning clothes load for a predetermined length of time before being discharged to drain. Enhanced detergent and soil removal with less water usage is achieved with this method. However, in the method disclosed by the patent, water is sprayed while rotating the basket, therefore an entire removal of detergent and soil is not achieved. In the above-mentioned patent, the basket is rotated at high speeds, while water is re-circulated and sprayed. To achieve the effects of the above patent, spray means have be operated at the same time as drain means. Therefore, spraying means have to be directed directly to the clothes.
In the present invention the spray means and drain means are not operated at the same time, since fresh water may be stored in the tub, to be later sprayed to the clothes while the basket is still.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,955 discloses a method of rinsing in an automatic washer having an imperforate wash tub, a perforate wash basket disposed within the tub and rotatable about a vertical axis and a bottom plate disposed within the lower portion of the wash basket and mounted for wobbling motion. The method of rinsing includes adding rinse liquid into the wash basket and re-circulating the rinse liquid over the clothes items while driving the bottom plate in a mutating movement. Mutating movement describes the movement of the bottom plate wherein the bottom plate is slowly rotated within the wash basket while being driven in a rapid wobbling motion. In this fashion, the clothes are repeatedly moved under a spray pattern of rinse liquid while being jostled and flexed for achieving the desired excellent detergent and soil removal during rinse. In a second embodiment, the step of slowly rotating the wash basket for moving the clothes under a spray pattern of rinse liquid is combined with a step of wobbling the bottom plate for agitating the clothes while spraying rinse liquid onto the clothes items. The patent discloses a method using a propeller, which is different to the effect produced by an agitator. Additionally, in the method disclosed by the patent, water is sprayed while rotating the basket. Therefore, an entire removal of detergent and soil is not achieved. The patent discloses a basket rotation at low speed while re-circulating and spraying fresh water.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,259 discloses a rinsing method for a washing machine, which can prevent the waste of the washing liquid and can improve the rinsing effect. The rinsing method has the steps of introducing the washing liquid into an outer tub, spinning a spin tub such that the washing liquid contained in the clothing is discharged into a sump area, repeatedly spraying the washing liquid into the spin tub by circulating the washing liquid collected in the sump area, and draining the washing liquid collected in the sump area out of the washing machine. The rinsing method repeats the steps at least one time. Since the washing liquid is sprayed toward an upper wall of the spin tub, impurities formed between the outer tub and the spin tub are effectively removed. By the rinsing method, the washing liquid can be saved and the rinsing effect can be improved. In the method disclosed by the patent, water is sprayed while rotating the basket. Therefore, an entire removal of detergent and soil is not achieved. Furthermore, the machine sprays fresh water to the clothes, however, does not centrifuge the clothes to free the cloth of the water within. Additionally, the machine in the above-mentioned patent collects water while rotating the basket.
In the present invention, the basket is stopped while collecting and spraying fresh water. The invention of the above-mentioned patent dehydrates the cloth while spraying fresh water due to the constant rotation of the basket. Furthermore, the invention of the above-mentioned patent recycles water that is filtered during spraying. This has proven to be ineffective, since water which contains detergent and filth is being recycled.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,737,790 discloses a laundry washing machine in which water is conserved by replacing the conventional deep rinse by a series of spray rinses. Each spray rinse utilizes a predetermined quantity of water which is sprayed directly at the clothes load while the load is rotated, thereby allowing the rinse water to pass straight through the clothes load, and removing soil and/or detergent from the clothes. The amount of water used in each spray rinse is determined from a first “sense rinse” cycle in which the volume of water required to totally saturate the clothes load is found. In each subsequent rinse, a proportion (preferably from about 50% to about 100%) of this value is used. In the method disclosed by the patent, water is sprayed while rotating the basket. The foregoing technique does not achieve a complete removal of detergent and filth in the textiles.
One of the differences between the present invention, with the above mentioned US patent is that said patent contains devices to control the rinse centrifuge duration means. It has been observed that controlling time and water depending on the amount of clothing, does not achieve an efficient removal of detergent and dirt in the cloths. On the contrary, surprisingly a constant quantity of water and time, without depending on the quantity of clothes, achieves a better removal of detergent and filth in the rinsing phase. Therefore, the rinsing time cycles or blocks are constant in the present invention. The water used in the semi-rinse blocks are constant patterns in the present invention. That is, the present invention does not refer to an adaptive method in the water quantity used in the semi-rinse blocks in function of the cloth load as the above-mentioned US patent does, rather to constant methods with certain predetermined water variation patterns in each semi-rinse block previously determined by the user and control.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,115 discloses a washing machine having a rinse mode for rinsing laundry placed in a tub of the washing machine. Rinse mode control means controls water supply to the tub and rotation of the tub to carry out a spin dry rinse mode. The spin dry rinse mode includes a first operation during which water is supplied into the tub while the tub is rotated and a second operation during which the supply oft water is stopped and the tub is rotated. The washing machine further includes means for detecting the amount of laundry put into the tub. A rinse time change means controls the time for spin dry rinse mode in accordance with the amount of laundry detected. Thus, time can be saved and water conserved while still effectively rinsing the laundry.
One of the differences of the present invention with the above-mentioned US patent, is that the above-mentioned US patent contains devices to control the rinse-centrifuge duration means. It has been observed that controlling time and water depending on the amount of cloth does not achieve an efficient removal of detergent and filth in the cloth. On the contrary, surprisingly a constant quantity of water and time, without depending on the quantity of clothes, achieves a better removal of detergent and filth in the rinsing phase. Therefore, the rinsing time cycles or blocks are constant in the present invention. The water used in the semi-rinse blocks are constant patterns in the present invention. That is, the present invention does not refer to an adaptive method in the water quantity used in the semi-rinse blocks in function of the cloth load as the above-mentioned US patent does, rather to constant methods. A further difference between the present invention and the above US patent, is that the present invention achieves a better removal of detergent and filth with the basket still while spraying. The above US patent is rotating the basket while spraying.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,484 discloses method of rinsing laundries in a washing machine with a tilted washing tub consisting of an outer tub and an inner tub is disclosed. In the method of this invention, a predetermined amount of water is primarily fed to the washing tub while constantly rotating the inner tub at an initial speed of no higher than a predetermined rpm, with the amount of water being predetermined in accordance with the weight of the laundries to be rinsed within the washing tub. Thereafter, a circulation-rinsing step is performed. In this step, the laundries are rinsed while rotating the inner tub at a second speed, with the water repeatedly circulated from the washing tub to a nozzle provided at the upper portion of the washing tub through a water circulation hose, and sprayed under pressure from the nozzle into the washing tub. These steps are repeated a predetermined number of times. As in the other prior art disclosed, the patent discloses how to spray water while rotating the basket, and therefore, does not achieve a complete removal of detergent and filth in the cloth. The patent discloses a method using a propeller, which is different to the effect of using an agitator.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,017,217 an apparatus and method to operate a washing machine are disclosed, in which a rinse cycle is provided for a washing machine including a rotatable basket and a fresh water spraying device. The method comprises rotating the basket at a first rate of rotation, spraying water into the basket while the basket is rotating at the first rate, and rotating the basket at a second rate of rotation, the second rate of rotation greater than the first rate of rotation. As in the other prior art disclosed, the patent discloses how to spray water while rotating the basket, and therefore, does not achieve a complete removal of detergent and filth in the cloth.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,146,669 discloses method of rinsing a wash load in a washing machine having a perforated drum which is rotatable about an axis and capable of receiving the wash load and having a water inlet which is capable of introducing water to the interior of the rotatable drum includes the steps of rotating the drum about the axis at a first rotational speed sufficient to retain the wash load stationary with respect to the rotating drum; introducing rinse water into the interior of the rotating drum via the inlet so that the rinse water is sprayed from the inlet onto the wash load, the volume of rinse water so introduced being less than the volume required to saturate the wash load; and increasing the speed of rotation of the drum to a second rotational speed sufficient to spin a significant proportion of the rinse water out of the wash load. Also, said patent discloses spraying the cloth while rotating the basket.
The above mentioned prior art, uses spray rinse phases. In certain prior art, the combination of spray and deep rinse phases is used. An example of the above is U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,167,722 and 5,737,790. However, when using the combination of rinses, said patents obtained the disadvantage of requiring high quantities of water, and therefore an efficient reduction of used water by the washing machine was not obtained.
Additionally, determining the quantity of water to be used in the rinse has been disclosed in the art. For example, EP patent No. 0 394 657 discloses a washing machine with multiple rinses, in which each phase and water level during each rinse, is determined by the prior rinse phase to decrement the total duration of the washing phase.
Rotating the basket while spraying the cloth, as is disclosed by prior art, causes a dehydration of the cloth. The present invention does not achieve in the spraying phase the dehydration of the textiles. Even more, the present invention does not intend to achieve a dehydration during spraying, rather the adequate hydration of the textiles. The greater the rotation speed the basket has, the more centrifuge force is created in the textiles, and thus, the greater dehydration is achieved in the textiles. Even with a low rotation speed, a certain centrifuge force is done, causing the dehydration of the cloth. Since in the present invention the basket is still during the spraying of fresh water, the textiles are not dehydrated.
Furthermore, the present invention varies the fresh water quantity in a constant manner, that is, it has a predetermined diminishing, raise, or equal fresh water pattern in each semi-rinse block or cycle, the present invention does not vary in an adaptive manner the quantity of water of each semi-rinse block, that is, it does not adapt the quantity of fresh water in each semi-rinse block as a function of the cloth quantity to be rinsed.